Parent Bulletin

Dear parents and carers,

It was fantastic to be able to celebrate and say farewell to our Year 13 students as part of the Prom last Friday evening. We shall miss these students as they have been an absolute delight and an asset to our school over the last seven years. We wish them the very best in their future endeavours but we are also looking forward to celebrating with them on their results day in August.

Our Year 7 students had a brilliant time last week as they visited Flamborough Head as part of their Geography studies.

Around 50 of our Year 9 students had a superb trip to Dalby Forest for a wellbeing festival -it was a great day filled with activities and experiences that contributed to their overall wellbeing.

Mock examinations continue this week for our Year 10 students who continue to work hard for these assessments. The students have shown a strong commitment to their studies which will inevitably place them in a good position for these 10 mock examinations, which serve as key academic benchmarks.

We look forward to welcoming families of Year 7 into school on Wednesday 28 June as part of the Year 7 Progress evening. During this evening you will get the opportunity to speak to subject teachers in order to discuss your child’s academic progress this year and their next steps.

On Friday, we celebrate again – this time with our Year 11 students at the Racecourse as part of their Prom!

A reminder that as a school we are making preparations for our off timetable enrichment week which commences in the final week of term. Please keep a careful watch on parent pay for details regarding the rewards trips that take place in that week. Alongside this, your child will have received an enrichment week booklet highlighting all of the fantastic activities that are available during this week and in particular on the Friday. Please look at this booklet with your child at home as there are some notes on what equipment and clothing they might need for some of the activities (e.g. coming into school in sportswear if they are doing a sporting activity on one of the days).

I do need to highlight that unfortunately there will be further Industrial Action taking place on Wednesday 5 July and Friday 7 July. We will write to you shortly regarding details for these two days of strike action. However, we are now in a position to confirm that school will be open to Year 6 and Year 12 on Wednesday 5 July and Year 7 and Year 12 on Friday 7 July.

As we prepare to move back to a communal lunch hour we wanted to share with you some of the exciting changes that will be happening over the summer to ensure all students have access to a fantastic catering experience.

Year 11 – Courtyard Cafe
The biggest work will be for Year 11 where we will be increasing the size of the kitchen to allow for a full service in their own communal space. In order to increase the seating we will be adding a large canopy extension to allow the entire year group to eat and socialise together – even in wet weather!

Main school
Additionally we will be adding further seating to the front of school to allow all year groups the chance to enjoy their lunch in warmth and comfort. These canopies are also ideal spaces to enjoy some fresh air whilst being protected from the changeable weather.

And that’s not all…. 

We recognise the importance of all children accessing good quality food throughout the school and so in order to ensure that we can feed every child we are also increasing the numbers of serving tills, ovens and catering equipment to allow for a quick and efficient service.

Pricing
We try to keep our pricing as simple as possible. All of our meals are prepared fresh every day by our fantastic in-school catering team.

Free School Meals
Our generous free school meal allowance of £3.00 a day allows all children in receipt to access a snack at break and a full hot meal and pudding at lunch.

Remember you can see what your child is accessing via www.parentpay.com

Linked to this, for a two week period which commences Monday 3 July we will be trialling our return to one break and lunch arrangements. Please see below for the timings of the school day:

Wellbeing

Health and wellbeing is an important part of life at Archbishop Holgate’s School, in order to read the wellbeing newsletter for this week – please click here.

Head of Year Awards

Year team messages to parents and carers

Each week, the pastoral year teams will communicate any key messages, successes and upcoming dates to be aware of in this section of the parent bulletin.

A message from the Sixth Form pastoral team

Y13 Key Dates:

• A Level Results – Thursday 17th August

Congratulations Year 13
Congratulations to our Yr13 students who have completed their BTEC coursework and had their final A-Level exams last week. This brings to end their 7 year (or two year) journey at Archbishop Holgate’s School and they were able to celebrate in style at their end of year prom at the Hilton on Friday night.

A huge thanks to Mrs Walton, Mr MacFarlane and the rest of the sixth form team for arranging a fantastic event! We look forward to welcoming you back to sixth form in August for you to collect your results.

Y12 Upcoming dates

• Hull University Trip – 28th June: Please ensure you register for the event through the Google Classroom link
• Oxford University Trip – 28th June: Reply slips to Mr Gladstone asap please
• A Level Mock Exams – wc 3rd July (will continue as normal despite possible strike action)
• Y12 Enrichment Week (off timetable) – wc 10th July
• Y12 UCAS Launch Evening – 11th July
• Y12 Work Experience (not in school) – wc 17th July: All placements should now be on Grofar platform

REMINDER Yr 12 Competitive Admissions Test Tuition

Year 12 End of Year Assessments Timetable
Students are entering the second of two weeks worth of revision lessons in their A-Level subjects. End of Year Assessments take place in the week beginning July 3rd and students have had useful revision strategy materials shared with them on the year group Google Classroom and have been encouraged to speak with subject staff for additional strategies.

Medical Appointments
We understand that it is not easy to get a doctor or dentist appointment currently. However, we do ask that whenever possible these appointments are made outside the school day to minimise the impact on your child’s learning. Due to the increasing number of missed lessons due to medical appointments, we are now asking for formal evidence of these appointments.

A message from the Year 11 pastoral team

Now that the Year 11 examinations have finally finished the team would like to congratulate our fantastic students on their commitment and conduct throughout the exam season. I hope to see you all back for the sixth form, but I wish you every success for the future regardless of the path you choose. I would also like to take his opportunity to thank the parents, who have been brilliant to work with. I have really valued the open and honest communication we have had and I think this has played a significant part in the success of the year group. Finally, I ‘d like to thank the amazing pastoral team I have had the pleasure to work with over the last few years, who have gone above and beyond to ensure the safety, wellbeing and academic success of the students in year 11.

I look forward to catching up with parents properly at prom and on results day in August, where I am sure we will all be celebrating the success of the students. However, in the meantime if there are any questions you have or require assistance in any way, then please feel free to get in touch.

As parents may be aware, we operate a uniform shop at school and would gladly appreciate any and all donations of uniform that is no longer needed. Equally, if your child has revision guides/resources that they no longer need we would also gratefully receive any of these. Any donations families want to make can be dropped off in reception.

A message from the Year 10 pastoral team

As a year team we are extremely happy to report that Year 10 are halfway through their mock exam period, and so far, they have been absolutely smashing it! We’ve been impressed with their hard work and dedication to their studies, and we hope you are too. We understand that mock exams can be a stressful time for students, but we encourage you to continue showing your support and encouraging them on. One more week to do and then I’m sure we will be celebrating success!

A few reminders as we enter the last week of mocks (Monday 26th June for two weeks):

1. We ask families for 100% attendance, in full school uniform and on time to make sure we can spend time with our young people getting them ready to go in for their exam.
2. They have the correct equipment, clear pencil case, two black pens, two pencils, ruler, rubber, sharpener, protractor, compass, scientific calculator (they don’t need this until Thursday’s maths exam).

Mock exams are a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge and even just get a good understanding of how the exam process works, we are really enjoying seeing our young people shine.

I would like to wish Year 10 good luck for next week! As I have said, the year group as a whole have been amazing last week and I hope that this continues!

Next week the exam schedule looks as follows:

Monday
9AM – Computer science (1h 30min)
9AM – PT Paper 1 (1h 15min)
11:15AM – History Paper 2 (1h)

Tuesday
9AM – Geography Paper 2 (1h 5m)
11:15AM – Spanish Reading/Listening

Wednesday
9AM – Religious Education (55m)
11:15AM – German Reading/Listening

Thursday
9AM – French/German/Spanish writing
11:15 – Sociology (1h 45m)
11:15 – Music (1h 30m)
11:15 – Drama (1h 45m)

Friday
9AM – History Paper 3 (1h 20m)
11:15 – PT Paper 2 (1h 15m)
11:15 – Food Tech (1h 20m)

I quick reminder I would like to make is that the rewards trip in the last week of term to Alton Towers, linked to good behaviour and attendance in the mocks, permission and payment is done online through ParentPay – if you are struggling to access this please contact reception and they can ask finance to resend details on how to login for you. I know the year group are already looking forward to enrichment week and the trip to Alton Towers, it will certainly be a fun well deserved day!

Our students of the week this week are:

Maxine Whitwell – 10MHe – For being so proactive and kind in helping out our new starter in Year 10! Well done Maxine!
Caitlin Taylor – 10JLi – For being so proactive and kind in helping out our new starter in Year 10! Well done Caitlin!

If you have any queries regarding your young person in Year 10, then please do get in touch by emailing myself (cmcpaul@ahs.pmat.academy), Miss Deacon (mdeacon@ahs.pmat.academy) and/or Mrs Robinson (jrobinson@ahs.pmat.academy) or calling main school reception and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

A message from the Year 9 pastoral team

This week has been another fantastic week for Year 9, they are continuing the high standards that they set themselves as a year group from the beginning of the school year. It has been a pleasure to drop into lessons and form time and see such high standards of behaviour, excellent uniform, and a great attitude to learning.

Mrs. Mennell and Mrs. Calvert organised a wonderful trip to Dalby Forest for a wellbeing festival, taking along 50 enthusiastic students. It was a fantastic day filled with activities and experiences that contributed to their overall well-being. The students had a blast, and we’re grateful to our dedicated staff for arranging such a memorable event.

We also want to remind you to sign up for the rewards trip to Drayton Manor through Parent Pay. This trip promises to be a fantastic opportunity for our students to enjoy some fun and relaxation as a reward for their hard work. Please ensure you complete the sign-up process promptly to secure a spot for your child.

Additionally, just another reminder for your child to submit the choices for Enrichment Week Friday activities as soon as possible. This will allow us to finalise the plans and ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for all students involved.

Lastly, Mr. O’Brien led a collective worship session this week, focusing on the importance of exercise. He emphasised the numerous benefits of physical activity and encouraged our students to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.

As always if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact the Year 9 team.

A message from the Year 8 pastoral team

We have been lucky enough to enjoy another week in Year 8 of predominantly nice weather and students are beginning to excitedly turn their thoughts towards the end of term and the start of Year 9.

Students now have their Enrichment week booklets to inform them of arrangements for the final week of term. The most important task for students is to make the choices for their Friday activities where they can choose what they would like to do. There isn’t a deadline for this as such, but it is being done on a first-come-first-serve basis and students who have not yet handed in their slips may find they haven’t secured a place in popular activities. In the rest of the week, Monday will be a day for students to do taster sessions in subjects that are only offered at GCSE and A level; Tuesday will be Flamingo Land; on Wednesday students will gain experience of planning and coordinating a community event; and Thursday will be a Year 8 Sports Day. We also have the whole school Sports Day taking place on the penultimate Friday in school, as always.

Around half of the Year 8 cohort will be participating in the Languages trips and travelling abroad. Whilst we appreciate this means they will miss Enrichment Week in school this year, this is a phenomenal opportunity for them to partake in a range of enrichment opportunities and visits abroad. Year 8 is unique in that our students may have vastly different experiences depending on whether they are on the Languages trips abroad or in school for Enrichment week, but the aim remains the same across both – to give students the very best experience and to maximise their opportunities.

As we approach the end of the year, we do find students need more guidance and support in their usual routines. Understandably, students are becoming excited about all the off-timetable plans we have in store for them, as well as the treat of a six week holiday with their family and friends. We do need to remind students that there is still 4 weeks left of school, and our expectations remain at the usual high standards. Unlike in Year 7, the majority of students will be keeping their Form tutors and the Year 8 team will stay with Year 8 as they move into Year 9. In the first part of the year, we spoke a lot about ‘first impressions’, and this has now turned to a focus on making ‘lasting impressions’ and finishing the year strongly.

We would very much appreciate your support in embedding high expectations at home and keeping up normal school routines of homework, bedtimes and limiting screen time in the evening which enables students to be successful in school. We are also grateful for you enforcing that your child must wait until the 6 week holidays for false nails/acrylics or temporary hair colour changes. As the weather continues to be very warm, we appreciate parents ensuring your child wears sunscreen and keeps a water bottle with them to stay hydrated. Unfortunately, we cannot allow water fights in school and we are grateful for your support in reinforcing this at home.

Thank you for your continued support. The Year 8 team are on hand throughout the school day to support students and address any concerns. We try to encourage students to seek us out before school, break, lunch or after school if they have an issue they would like to discuss. If you have any queries or concerns about your child in Year 8, please call school reception to speak to someone in the Year 8 team, or you can email reception@ahs.pmat.academy.

A message from the Year 7 pastoral team

This week we went to Flamborough Head and Bridlington on a Geography trip. The Year 7s looked at the impact of longshore drift and coastal erosion. We are very proud of how well our students behaved and engaged in the activities. A special shout out to ASu, CMm, Pi and Hv who showed great resilience in the rain!

On Wednesday we are looking forward to meeting you all at Parents Evening. Please sign in at the main reception where you will be provided with a map to help you find all of the teachers. We encourage year 7 students to attend with their family so that they can be involved in the conversations that take place. Students are able to make appointments with the Year 7 team if this would be useful, please ask them to speak to their form tutor about this.

We are very excited for our rewards trip to Flamingo Land which will take place in Enrichment week on 17th July. Please remember to fill in the consent form on ParentPay so that we know you are attending.

Finally, it is hard to believe that we are reaching the end of the year. The year group continue to do themselves proud and keep high standards. We are very proud of them. As always, if you need anything, please do not hesitate to contact the year team.

Well Done to our Students of the Week:
7ASU – Safeea Lalowski for leading the Desert Island game in my absence. Well done!
7CMM – Charlotte Crowe- wonderful contribution to Flamborough Trip, and for helping the school in a Rounder fixture. Busy week!
7PI – Natty Greenhouse – for a fantastic first year at AHS. Very well done Natty!
7HV – Arjun Vellanki – Great participation to our daily Wordle
7MPE -Thomas Noret – for being a fantastic member of 7MPE! Well Done!
7CST – Isaac Ashun- For his excellent reading and contribution in The News, giving his opinion on some of the issues we read. Well done Issac!
7MLN – Maisie Smart – for being a fantastic pupil and member of the form, well done!
7JHE – Nelith Perera Padukkage – for always being polite and friendly to everyone
7BL – Archie Harris – Making a big effort to take responsibility and engaging in form discussions with mature ideas.
7ZBL – Ruby Smith – for outstanding resilience and kindness towards others.
7CY – Soraya Clifton Masters for her effort and participation on the school trip

Word of the week

The word of the week for week commencing 26 June is:

Renounce

Verb: formally declare one’s abandonment of a right or possession

“He renounced his claim to the title.”

Collective Worship

Theme
Our form tutor collective worship is entitled ‘Robert Holgate’. It has been written by members of the AHS RE Ambassadors team and explores the life and work of Archbishop Robert Holgate, the founder of our school. Our daily quotes are on the theme of both Education and Justice.

Quotes

Monday
“Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.” – Oprah Winfrey; American television producer, actress, author

Tuesday:
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela; first democratic President of South Africa

Wednesday:
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” – Elie Wiesel; Holocaust survivor and writer

Thursday:
“When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” – John Lewis; American politician and civil rights activist

Friday:
“Without justice, there can be no peace.” – Martin Luther King; Baptist Minister, writer and Civil Rights campaigner